A battery-operated, hand-held, self-contained surgical device is described, for example, in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2009/0101692, which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto, and illustrated therein with reference number 800. The device includes a circuit board to control various functions, e.g., articulation, rotation, and closing of jaws and actuation of a stapling and cutting mechanism, in response to manual inputs from a device operator, e.g., a surgeon. By not being physically connected to any external drive system, this device provides mobility during surgical procedures.
It is considered desirable to provide a two-way communication arrangement that does not reduce, or does not substantially reduce, the mobility provided by devices such as the surgical device described above. Further, it is considered desirable to register one or more surgical devices and maintain a list of registered and/or unregistered devices.
It is also considered desirable to provide a mechanism for tracking information related to, e.g., inventory, a number of uses of the device and/or attachment or device component, malfunctions, cleaning/sanitization status, and/or a number of uses between servicing. Such information may also include images acquired by an imaging device and/or a record of the device controls operated during a given procedure, e.g., a record of what inputs or controls were used by the operator, when and/or for how long they were used, and/or resulting conditions and/or parameters, such as, e.g., motor forces, component positions, and/or data obtained from sensors. Moreover, it may be desirable to provide visual and/or auditory feedback to the operator based on the received information.
Moreover, a system that prevents the use of certain devices such as, e.g., devices that have not been cleaned subsequent to a previous use, and/or unregistered devices, is considered desirable.
It is also considered desirable to provide an intelligent drive unit that provides mobility and flexibility in what types of procedures may be performed.